Gene of the month: FH

Case report: Uterine leiomyoma with fumarate hydratase deficiency

Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the fumarate hydratase gene. The syndrome is characterized by skin leiomyomatosis, uterine leiomyomatosis, and renal cell carcinoma. Herein, we report a case of fumarate hydratase deficient leiomyoma. The patient was a young female presenting with large uterine leiomyoma and multiple kidney angiomyolipomas. The report presents the chosen treatment and the challenges of differential diagnosis.

FH deficient uterine leiomyomas-a case series

Introduction

Fumarate hydratase (FH) deficient uterine leiomyomas account for only 0.4 % of all uterine leiomyomas. They are characterized by some distinct histological features and may be associated with Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) syndrome.

Methods

Herein we present a series of five cases of FH deficient uterine leiomyomas in patients with a mean age of 30 years. All five patients underwent myomectomy. Three of these cases had an outside histopathologic diagnosis ranging from Smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) to Leiomyosarcoma while two cases were operated at our centre. All five cases were reported as suggestive of FH deficient leiomyomas and were advised germline testing along with genetic counselling.

Results

Immunohistochemically four of the cases showed moderate to strong positivity for 2-SC with a complete loss or reduced expression of FH while one case showed absence of 2-SC staining.

Discussion

Mutations in FH lead to reduced enzyme activity and accumulation of fumarate leading to a complete loss or aberrant reduced expression seen on immunohistochemistry, which confirms the diagnosis. It is important to differentiate it from a leiomyosarcoma or other malignant spindle cell tumors as these tumors follow a benign course. Their association with HLRCC also needs to be established for a suitable follow up since HLRCC-associated RCCs are often aggressive.

Conclusion

Management of such leiomyomas is myomectomy or hysterectomy with advice of genetic testing to rule out HLRCC. Histomorphology and immunohistochemistry are imperative for a correct and timely diagnosis.

Expanding the genetic spectrum of mitochondrial diseases in Tunisia: novel variants revealed by whole-exome sequencing

Introduction: Inherited mitochondrial diseases are the most common group of metabolic disorders caused by a defect in oxidative phosphorylation. They are characterized by a wide clinical and genetic spectrum and can manifest at any age. In this study, we established novel phenotype-genotype correlations between the clinical and molecular features of a cohort of Tunisian patients with mitochondrial diseases. Materials and methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed on five Tunisian patients with suspected mitochondrial diseases. Then, a combination of filtering and bioinformatics prediction tools was utilized to assess the pathogenicity of genetic variations. Sanger sequencing was subsequently performed to confirm the presence of potential deleterious variants in the patients and verify their segregation within families. Structural modeling was conducted to study the effect of novel variants on the protein structure. Results: We identified two novel homozygous variants in NDUFAF5 (c.827G>C; p.Arg276Pro) and FASTKD2 (c.496_497del; p.Leu166GlufsTer2) associated with a severe clinical form of Leigh and Leigh-like syndromes, respectively. Our results further disclosed two variants unreported in North Africa, in GFM2 (c.569G>A; p.Arg190Gln) and FOXRED1 (c.1261G>A; p.Val421Met) genes, and we described the first case of fumaric aciduria in a Tunisian patient harboring the c.1358T>C; p.Leu453Pro FH variant. Conclusion: Our study expands the mutational and phenotypic spectrum of mitochondrial diseases in Tunisia and highlights the importance of next-generation sequencing to decipher the pathomolecular mechanisms responsible for these disorders in an admixed population.

Kidney cancer: Links between hereditary syndromes and sporadic tumorigenesis

Multiple hereditary syndromes predispose to kidney cancer, including Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, BAP1-Tumor Predisposition Syndrome, Hereditary Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, Hereditary Paraganglioma-Pheochromocytoma Syndrome, Fumarate Hydratase Tumor Predisposition Syndrome, and Cowden syndrome. In some cases, mutations in the genes that cause hereditary kidney cancer are tightly linked to similar histologic features in sporadic RCC. For example, clear cell RCC occurs in the hereditary syndrome VHL, and sporadic ccRCC usually has inactivation of the VHL gene. In contrast, mutations in FLCN, the causative gene for Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, are rarely found in sporadic RCC. Here, we focus on the genes and pathways that link hereditary and sporadic RCC.

A novel nonsense mutation in the fumarate hydratase gene in a Chinese patient with recurrent leiomyomas

Objective

To describe a novel nonsense mutation in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene in a Chinese patient with recurrent multiple leiomyomas.

Design

Case report.

Setting

Medical school-affiliated tertiary hospital.

Patients

A nulligravida patient aged 30 years with large uterine leiomyomas (ULMs) and severe anemia.

Interventions

Clinical evaluation, abdominal myomectomy, targeted next-generation sequencing.

Main outcome measures

Fumarate hydratase gene mutation in ULMs.

Results

A novel nonsense mutation (c.771T>G) in the FH gene was identified in this patient. This mutation is located in exon 6, which encodes the N-terminal fumarate lyase domain. It leads to a predicted truncated protein with loss of the majority of the lyase domain, resulting in FH deficiency.

Conclusions

Because of the recurrent multiple leiomyomas, this patient received 2 myomectomies within 5 years. On immunostaining the leiomyoma, FH deficiency was detected, and targeted next-generation sequencing revealed a novel mutation of the FH gene. This patient was at risk for early disease relapse and developing renal cancer, and close disease monitoring is recommended. Meanwhile, the expanded mutation database should benefit patients in diagnosing FH gene-associated ULMs.

Proteogenetic drug response profiling elucidates targetable vulnerabilities of myelofibrosis

Myelofibrosis is a hematopoietic stem cell disorder belonging to the myeloproliferative neoplasms. Myelofibrosis patients frequently carry driver mutations in either JAK2 or Calreticulin (CALR) and have limited therapeutic options. Here, we integrate ex vivo drug response and proteotype analyses across myelofibrosis patient cohorts to discover targetable vulnerabilities and associated therapeutic strategies. Drug sensitivities of mutated and progenitor cells were measured in patient blood using high-content imaging and single-cell deep learning-based analyses. Integration with matched molecular profiling revealed three targetable vulnerabilities. First, CALR mutations drive BET and HDAC inhibitor sensitivity, particularly in the absence of high Ras pathway protein levels. Second, an MCM complex-high proliferative signature corresponds to advanced disease and sensitivity to drugs targeting pro-survival signaling and DNA replication. Third, homozygous CALR mutations result in high endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, responding to ER stressors and unfolded protein response inhibition. Overall, our integrated analyses provide a molecularly motivated roadmap for individualized myelofibrosis patient treatment.

MAEL facilitates metabolic reprogramming and breast cancer progression by promoting the degradation of citrate synthase and fumarate hydratase via chaperone-mediated autophagy

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. Several studies have shown that inactivation of Krebs cycle enzymes, such as citrate synthase (CS) and fumarate hydratase (FH), facilitates aerobic glycolysis and cancer progression. MAEL has been shown to play an oncogenic role in bladder, liver, colon, and gastric cancers, but its role in breast cancer and metabolism is still unknown. Here, we demonstrated that MAEL promoted malignant behaviours and aerobic glycolysis in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, MAEL interacted with CS/FH and HSAP8 via its MAEL domain and HMG domain, respectively, and then enhanced the binding affinity of CS/FH with HSPA8, facilitating the transport of CS/FH to the lysosome for degradation. MAEL-induced degradation of CS and FH could be suppressed by the lysosome inhibitors leupeptin and NH₄ Cl, but not by the macroautophagy inhibitor 3-MA or the proteasome inhibitor MG132. These results suggested that MAEL promoted the degradation of CS and FH via chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). Further studies showed that the expression of MAEL was significantly and negatively correlated with CS and FH in breast cancer. Moreover, overexpression of CS or/and FH could reverse the oncogenic effects of MAEL. Taken together, MAEL promotes a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis by inducing CMA-dependent degradation of CS and FH, thereby promoting breast cancer progression. These findings have elucidated a novel molecular mechanism of MAEL in cancer.

Aging and memory are altered by genetically manipulating lactate dehydrogenase in the neurons or glia of flies

The astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle hypothesis posits that glial-generated lactate is transported to neurons to fuel metabolic processes required for long-term memory. Although studies in vertebrates have revealed that lactate shuttling is important for cognitive function, it is uncertain if this form of metabolic coupling is conserved in invertebrates or is influenced by age. Lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh) is a rate limiting enzyme that interconverts lactate and pyruvate. Here we genetically manipulated expression of Drosophila melanogaster lactate dehydrogenase (dLdh) in neurons or glia to assess the impact of altered lactate metabolism on invertebrate aging and long-term courtship memory at different ages. We also assessed survival, negative geotaxis, brain neutral lipids (the core component of lipid droplets) and brain metabolites. Both upregulation and downregulation of dLdh in neurons resulted in decreased survival and memory impairment with age. Glial downregulation of dLdh expression caused age-related memory impairment without altering survival, while upregulated glial dLdh expression lowered survival without disrupting memory. Both neuronal and glial dLdh upregulation increased neutral lipid accumulation. We provide evidence that altered lactate metabolism with age affects the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), and neutral lipid accumulation. Collectively, our findings indicate that the direct alteration of lactate metabolism in either glia or neurons affects memory and survival but only in an age-dependent manner.

Antibacterial Components and Modes of the Methanol-Phase Extract from Commelina communis Linn

Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria severely threaten human health. Traditional Chinese herbs are potential sources of new or alternative medicine. In this study, we analyzed for the first time antibacterial substances in the methanol-phase extract from a traditional Chinese herb-Commelina communis Linn-which showed an inhibition rate of 58.33% against 24 species of common pathogenic bacteria. The extract was further purified using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (Prep-HPLC), which generated four single fragments (Fragments 1 to 4). The results revealed that Fragment 1 significantly increased bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity and membrane permeability and decreased membrane fluidity, showing disruptive effects on cell integrity of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, such as Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enterica subsp., compared to the control groups (p < 0.05). In sum, 65 compounds with known functions in Fragment 1 were identified using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS), of which quercetin-3-o-glucuronide was predominant (19.35%). Comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed multiple altered metabolic pathways mediated by Fragment 1, such as inhibited ABC transporters, ribosome, citrate cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, and upregulated nitrogen metabolism and purine metabolism, thereby resulting in the repressed bacterial growth and even death (p < 0.05). Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that Fragment 1 from C. communis Linn is a promising candidate against common pathogenic bacteria.